Iron and Titanium Found in Atmosphere of Ultra-hot Exoplanet
The chemical makeup of Earth’s atmosphere is said to contain about 78% Nitrogen and 21% oxygen, with argon, carbon dioxide, and other gases making up the remaining 1%. But an international team of scientists says they have detected vapors of iron and titanium in the atmosphere of what is considered to be the hottest “ultra-hot” […]
First Detection of Helium in an Exoplanet Atmosphere
Scientists say for the first several hundred thousand years or so after the Big Bang, there were virtually only two elements in the universe, hydrogen, and helium. A hydrogen atom is made of only one proton and one electron, and a helium atom has two each of protons, electrons, and neutrons. Hydrogen and then helium are […]
Discovered: Most Distant Star Seen (So Far)
The 2016 discovery of the most distant star ever seen – so far – has been outlined in a new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy. According to the study, the star, formally named 1) but nicknamed Icarus, is located about 9 billion light-years from Earth. This means light from the star started toward […]
Newly Discovered Exoplanet Resembles Planet Mercury
A newly found exoplanet called K2-229b is about 20% larger and 2.5 times more massive than Earth. But the international team of astronomers, who recently discovered it, say it’s more like a super-charged version of our solar-system’s innermost planet, Mercury. They describe the planet as hot, metallic, made of iron and nickel, circles an orange K-dwarf […]
NASA Wants to Send Your Name to the Sun
How would you like to have your name sent to the Sun? NASA and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL) are preparing the Parker Solar Probe for an amazing journey to our star. The Parker Solar probe, scheduled for launch this summer between July 31st and August 19th, will be sent to within six […]
Kepler Discovers More Exoplanets / Scientists Classify Types of Planets
NASA’s planet-hunting Kepler mission recently released what it calls the most comprehensive and detailed catalog of candidate exoplanets. Exoplanets or extrasolar planets are planetary bodies that exist outside of our solar system. The new and final Kepler catalog from data gathered from the spacecraft’s initial patch of sky view within the Cygnus constellation includes 219 […]
Solar System Mimics Ours; The Big Empty; Closest Human Relative?
Nearby Planetary System Mimics our Solar System A group of scientists using NASA’s airborne Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy or SOFIA recently completed a study that confirmed their previous findings of a young and nearby planetary system. The researchers found that the system surrounding the star Epsilon Eridani, which is about 10.5 light years away […]
Astronomers Find Newborn Stars Near Supermassive Black Hole
A star being consumed by a black hole may seem quite common. But, news of stars being formed alongside a black hole could be something to notice! But that’s just what a UK-led group of astronomers say they recently discovered. While they were studying the ongoing collision of two galaxies, known jointly as IRAS F23128-5919, […]
Olive Oil Key to a Healthy Heart? – Black Holes – Liquid H2O on Mars?
Diet Rich in Olive Oil Can Help Keep Heart Healthy To keep heart healthy doctors recommend that you keep an eye on your cholesterol levels. But there are two main types of cholesterol – LDL or bad cholesterol and HDL, also known as good cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is bad because it builds up on artery […]
Did our Sun Snatch Planet 9 from Another Solar System?
Is it possible that the new-found theoretical Planet 9 is actually an exoplanet, a planet from another solar system? According to astronomers at Sweden’s Lund University, it’s “highly likely” that Planet 9 was actually “snatched” from another solar system by our young sun some 4.5 billion years ago, or within 100 million years after its formation. […]